VATICAN – The Catholic Church must not keep young men and women at a distance, but instead must learn to listen to them, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN – The Catholic Church needs to seek the input, commitment and talents of all of its members if it is to be truly catholic and to evangelize effectively, said a new document from the International Theological Commission.

OTTAWA – The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec have discussed the ordination of married men to the priesthood, but have reached no conclusions, said the Assembly’s president.

VATICAN – The Catholic Church in Latin America must recognize and appreciate the role of women and end the practice of using them solely as submissive laborers in the parish, said members of a pontifical commission.

VATICAN – Pope Francis has chosen the theme and appointed members of the preparatory council for the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon region, which will take place in Rome in October 2019.

Young people are calling for more outreach from the Catholic Church.

It has been a year of firsts for youth involvement.

VATICAN CITY - As the Catholic Church prepares to welcome youths from around the world to a preparatory meeting for the Synod of Bishops on youth, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri said the Church is using every means of communication available to listen to young people from all walks of life.

CAMBRIDGE, England – Pope Francis is inviting Catholics to take a more holistic approach to their faith, and that requires a change in underlying assumptions, said Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich.

VATICAN CITY – To involve young people in preparations for the Synod of Bishops on youth in 2018, the Vatican has released an online questionnaire to better understand the lives, attitudes and concerns of 16- to 29-year-olds around the world.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is considering dedicating a meeting of the Synod of Bishops to the concerns of the indigenous people of the Amazon region, a Peruvian archbishop said.

The Vatican’s launch date for a website on the 2018 Synod of Bishops has come and gone, but the web site remains offline.

BEIRUT – The Melkite Catholic Church resumed its Synod of Bishops after nearly an eight-month interruption.

In general, I’m a pretty hopeful person about the future of the Church, even more so with the announcement of the theme for next year’s Synod of Bishops.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has asked young people to tell him, their bishops and pastors about their hopes and struggles and even their criticisms.